Paolo Vettori 'Camilli' Violin, Florence, 2013

Features

A bold and exuberant violin from the hand of respected Florentian master, Paolo Vettori. This versatile violin is very well-balanced, with excellent blending of both warm and brilliant colors, suitable for a wide variety of genres and styles. The back is of one piece of quarter sawn maple, its medium-width flame ascending slightly from right to left. The top, of 18th century spruce from Vettori family stock, displays an undulating grain pattern, with small but pronounced knots near the bass-side f-hole. The varnish is red-brown over a golden ground, with masterful antiquing complementing the ancient wood.

Paolo Vettori
Paolo Vettori has lived his entire life in and near the Tuscan city of Florence, Italy, the heart and soul of Italian art and culture, and birthplace of the Renaissance. Receiving his early training from his father, Dario Vettori, Paolo started working in his father’s workshop at a very young age. He was fortunate to interact with many great makers in the region, who greatly supplemented his training, among them Sderci, Casini and Stefanini, who provided a direct line of inspiration to Paolo from Bisiach. From these masters, Paolo acquired not just new knowledge of techniques, but their approach to making, varnishing, and in some cases, even their tools and molds. Applying these resources, Paolo Vettori has created over 300 instruments, and remains today the head of his family’s workshop. He has since been joined by his children, who have become notable and respected luthiers, carrying out the Vettori family tradition into the third generation: Dario II, Sofia and Lapo, each of whom label their works individually.

Especially notable is the superb spruce employed in Vettori’s works, which originates from the Apennines, and was felled in 1772. The age and provenance of the wood is guaranteed and certified by Tuscia University.

Tonal Profile:

Gallery

Country of Origin

Cremona: The Birthplace of Today's Violins

The origins of the violin were likely rooted in India or the Far East. In fact, musical instruments that are played with a bow appear in centuries-old paintings and pottery from many different civilizations. But there is no doubt that the violin we recognize today originated in mid-1500 Cremona, Italy, more specifically from the hand of Andrea Amati.